Task Name: Halfway to the Desired Power
Tier: 2
NPC or PC: PC
Location: Baterilla Island
Crew, Team, or Personal: Personal
Description: Malik has made it halfway around the giant lake of Baterilla. He had managed to fend off the tigers he encountered rather well. Unfortunately, the hardships don't stop there. More marines were closing in on him. Thankfully, their were only a handful and now a higher ranking officer was among them.
Enemy Details: 4 Tier 1 Marines, 2 Tier 2 Marines
Boss: No Boss

The young warrior continued to take step after step through the right side of the lake, which sat the center of Baterilla, the island he was currently on. It took a while for his wounds to heal themselves, but thankfully it was all within the same day. It would appear he would get to the Devil Fruit sooner than he would have expected it. That is, if no other obstacles present themselves in front of him while he was on his way to earn what he seeks to gain. With his wounds healed, Malik wore his cyan hoodie along with having his blue backpack slung over his body. He was kept a close eye out for anything that may present a danger. The only threat at this moment was growing too close to the water in the lake. It is where the Bananawani dwell and are likely to strike when he happens to set foot in it. He cannot forget that they are the natural predators of the Sea Kings. It was obvious that leaning too close to the edge may provoke such ferocious creatures. So, he simply decided to stay on the far end on the other side of the road he was on, which was to his right, safely stemming away from the dangerous waters that permeate the lake and teem with deadly creatures that hold the potential to kill him. Malik was well-aware of his ability in combat, but he was not so cocky he would willingly pick a fight with a Bananawani. That wasn't recklessness, it was ignorance. It could bring all sorts of trouble and conflict, but mostly get others into unexpected predicaments. Deciding to stop temporarily, not out of hunger, exhaustion, or to check where he was. It was to make sure he was not being followed to begin with. Whether by humans beings, who have somehow found out he was here or animals he had previously defeated. He was certain he could take on the tigers again, but it was obvious that they won't be initiating a preferred rematch with him at this moment of observation of the landscape as it was obvious they have suffered wounds that require rest to heal themselves completely.

"Hmm, let's see if someone is following me. There can only be a certain group of individuals that know of presence within this area of the island, the marines. The last group that had come to fight and take me back to Baterilla's prison will obviously alert other comrades of theirs to my whereabouts, which will result in my battles to come. Sounds intriguing, I look forward to a it." The young teen thought, a smile small making it's way onto his face at the mere thought of a good confrontation between him and soldiers of the government.  Lately, all of his foes have been animals, beasts that have relied solely on instinct. When he gets the chance to battle against marines, at least they can think and plan ahead as well as dodge his attack more elegantly. At least they won't be as predictable. This made the future confrontation he was expecting to be more challenging. He steadily turned on his feet as he examined the where he was as well as looked for any possible figures who may have been following him here. He was cautious as to see and be prepared for what may be in store for him. If he were to defeat more marines, he bounty would simply increase to the point he would become an official threat. They say the number of a pirate's bounty reflect their strength and power. However, looks can be deceiving and one "shouldn't judge a book by it's cover" as the old saying goes. How one portrays themselves does not always show how they feel in the confines of the lively hearts. They say eyes are the window to a person soul, that one can tell how someone else feels by looking into their vision. It was interesting and it proved true, from what he believes. He decided to turn on his feet and face frontward. He then, started walking forward to his desired object of interest for this mission. As he had shown before, Malik was not doing this out of greed, but for righteous and virtuous reasons as he had reminded himself before while he was still fighting or after defeating the last of the ferocious tigers.

Before he could traverse any further to the Devil Fruit stationed at the other end of the lake, mysterious silhouettes burst out from bushes to his right. They temporarily flew in the air before landing in front of the young martial artist with their legs crouched as a result of the speed at which they had connected to the ground. The aforementioned teen stopped and observed, who was it that has the courage to ambush him at a time such as this. As the figure stood from where they were crouched, it was revealed that they were more marines. From within his soul, the boy felt profound enjoyment at the fact he was facing other beings in in combat. Battling nothing but animals grew tiring as he wondered when he will meet civilization again. Malik could actually stay her all day or week and relax. However, for reasons known only to him such as getting back to his friend, who was worrying about him, he was to find and eat the Sand-Sand Fruit, then, leave the forest. He truly admire how a natural wonder came to be. A body of water so vast, one can almost mistake it for a sea. Quite fitting on where a fruit containing the power to create, control, and become limitless amounts of sand should be found. Not many people would think to look for such a power in a wet, humid area rather than a barren wasteland where little fruit grows. Thankfully, he was a smart boy and was intellectually gifted. He thanked the Lord for blessing him so. He simply stood where he was when the men ambushed him from hiding in the bushes. If they were shielded by the vegetation growing here all this time, they they obviously seen what he was capable of. If so, then, he can only assume that have seen a good assortment of attacks he had recently displayed in his endeavors with the wildlife present in this area. He has to remember to steer away from the water close to him as it was filled with giant reptilian beasts, who were noted for being deadly.

"We have been observing you from the bushes, pirate. From how young you look, I never would have expected a person such as yourself to be so skilled. Apparently, how old you are doesn't seem to determine your strength, does it." The Soldier in front of all the marine's said, his tone echoing traces of being awestruck by the boy's skill and wit. He was also impressed on how much a beating this young fighter could take. It was obvious he was not a person to underestimate. A person, such as him is likely to be powerful in his own right. Luckily, they has numbers on their side, so he believed there were odds stacked against this child. For Malik, he could that there were obviously six marines in front of him. There was enough to give him a real challenge at least. Still, he wondered how strong they were all are. It was seem he was going have to find that out by doing battle with this determined individuals. It was apparent that the man that spoke first and was in front of the other marines was the leader. He seemed confident in the fact that there was more of them and only one of Malik. He also seemed to be cocky. He could tell from the way this man speaks, from the tone in his voice. It was obvious that arrogance may lead to this soldier's downfall. Despite how difficult this may seem, he was actually looking forward to it. It had been a little while since Malik had face a human being in combat, let alone a whole group. He was actually excited to begin in his battle with this soldiers. Besides, he cannot be wasting time just standing around, he has a close friend he needs to get back to. After consuming the Devil Fruit he had come here to claim of course. Now that he thinks about it, being made of sand sound interesting. With the number of combatants that stood in his way, he was certain that this was going to take a longer period of time than he had expected. It was going to be difficult, depending on the level of skill these men possessed that is. He had been fighting wild beasts in this forest, what they have planned may backfire against them as his previous battles have hardened him into a stronger warrior.

Deciding to quickly begin with his confrontation with the six soldiers before him, who were brave enough to ambush him in the first place, Malik took his blue backpack of of his shoulders and held it in his right hand. He then, tossed it to the corresponding side of himself, where it safely and noticeably landed in the remarkably softness of the bushes close by. The teen quickly switched his his position to that of his combative stance. He was a quiet individual, so he as such, the boy doesn't talk much. He says as much as need to be said for those to understand what he actions are and what he intends to do, to those he cares for at least. The soldiers on the opposite side all stood ready for battle when it shall come, each one shifting their bodies to a type of offensive to their own design. As everyone was different, so was how a person fights, even if the fighting styles they uses were similar. While similar, many weren't the same. For Mali's choice of fighting, his was a style of combat passed down from his family for generations. It focused on brute force or going all out on an opponent. It also channeled the immense force into keen strategies that allowed a person to attack from various direction. Basically, it combined strength and intelligence into one powerful force to be reckoned with. It was a fighting style that worked well for him. He slowly crouched his legs, preparing to launch himself towards the group of marine soldier before him. He could see all of them reaching for their blades being held in the sheaths that rested on there left sides while using their right hands. The teen bean to think of an accurate plan that would lead him to a swift victory over a few members of the group. From his gaze, he could see that many of them were novices in battle from the way they reached for their swords. It was obvious that many of them had hardly been in many battles. Malik on the other hand has and he has more than enough experience to know what to do in the middle of a fight.

"Let's begin" The young martial artist state within the confines of his mind as he couched his legs further to increase the momentum needed for his variation on propelling his own body. He fired himself forward at a quick burst of speed, signaling the start of this current confrontation he found himself in. The marines that were doing battle against him unsheathed their swords and held them tightly in their right hands as they gripped strongly. With the young fighter growing closer with each second, they leader of the group raised his weapon, preparing to strike the boy that was quickly approaching him with each strong, but firm step his took. What this man didn't know is what he had learn from fight the creatures this island had to behold. It was their tactics, which he can now incorporate into his own fighting style. When he was at an appropriate distance between him and the soldier, he immediately stopped on his feet and turned to his left and quickly moved to the marines right. Because of this maneuver, when the man brought his sword downward, he missed the child. It was at this moment that the boy temporarily halted any movement involving his strong legs. He then, clenched his hands in fists and reared back his right arm. With a mighty thrust, he rammed his closed palm forward. Due to the sudden movement, the leader of the group of six marines in total found it hard to react to the teenager's attack. He can only turn his head as the fist collided with the right side of his face. However, Malik was not finished there. He retracted his fist and performed a sweeping kick utilizing his left leg. Staggering slightly at the sudden collision from his previous punch, the leader of the group of marines was having trouble dodging the boy's attacks. Seeing the next attack on it's way, one of the soldiers in the group quickly dashed towards the boy. Before the teen's attack could connect to the group leader, the comrade of this adult individual stopped right in front of the young fighter and his commander. He raised both his left hand and his right, which held his weapon with his forearms creating an X-shaped formation for his defense.

The defending comrade managed to block the adolescent's kick with successful results. Seeing as the leader had his men to back him up, the boy removed his left leg from the forearms of the marine soldier and used his right to jump a safe distance away from the group. He then, planted his airborne foot onto the group, returning to his offensive position. In that same moment, the four other members of the team surrounded their leader, ready to defend him, if necessary. This is proving to be problematic for Malik. If he tried to attack even one of them, their comrades would rush to protect them, which would resulted in the boy suffering damage from one of his foes that manage to hide from his sight. Fighting a living being was completely different from fighting a living animal. Humans can think and plan and, unlike animals, don't rely solely on instinct. In addition to trying to defeat this men, they had each other's backs. Humans were very impressive, amazing even, as they can accomplish anything they put their minds to. Fortunately, this also counted for Malik as well. He was an intelligent young man with many talents. One of them was for battle. Due to gifted level of intelligence he has, the teen was a strategic fighter. He didn't always rush in blindly with a good plan. Still, that didn't mean he wouldn't take risks. He was a faithful person and was willing to take chance, if it meant doing it for his friends, protecting them, or for the right reason. With attack one marine at a time out of the picture, the young warrior had to resort to something else. Something more cunning in which he can outsmart this formidable opponents. They had number on their side, but perhaps he can use this to his advantage as well as against them. He could draw their attention while they attacked him and when the moment is right, he'll dodge their strike and they will end up attacking themselves. The question remained on whether it will work or not. Like he had pointed out in his mind, he liked to take risks.

Since he was willing to take chances, the boy decided that going along with faith would be the best route in a predicament of this magnitude and higher in some other parts of the world. The fun, exciting adventures is part of why life was so wonderful to the boy. When he was a little boy, his mother worried at times when it looked like he was going to hurt himself, but ended up coming out okay in the end. From a Christian point-of-view, it was obvious Lord God was watching over him as he did everyone else. When a person ascends to heaven, there won't be any need for The Lord to look over a person's safety as heaven is the safest place there was as no evil, negativity, and sin existed in the Kingdom of God. As God's children, humans were powerful in their own right. Sadly, some people are blindly by arrogance, which comes from the Sin of Pride, the deadly of the seven deadly sins. They were vices that often lead to corrupting an individual as well as leading to their death. Finally, this results in their punishment of being trapped in Hell for all eternity. It is the most horrifying punishment for any being, far worse than any fate. If one were to seen Hell, they would know what the worst suffering is. Thankfully, he was on God's side and anyone who followed The Lord was good. Anyone who followed The Devil, was evil. That was part of his philosophy as a Christian. These people believe what they were doing was right from their perception. Perception is reality, an teaching that was learn in his childhood. He was not going to delve deeper into the details of his belief. At the moment, it was time for him to fight. So, he simply rushed forward, willing to risk enduring damage at the hands of these marines to triumph over them and to accomplish his goal. Which is to claim the Sand-Sand Fruit. The very thought of becoming living sand interests him to no end.

The young fighter of a powerful teen continued on his path towards the group of soldiers, who were ready to defend themselves, if the necessity arose. He remained cautious on his surrounding as he dashed towards the self-believed bringers of justice. He couldn't blame these men for what they were doing. They were marines and many of people of this faction believe that what they were doing was right. A large multitude of pirates were rotten to their core of their souls, blackhearted. In reality from his point-of-view, they were just factions. It is not just what group you are in, it matters what side you are on and what you choose to do. Just because a person is a marine or pirate doesn't make them good or evil. It is what lies in the person making that same choice themselves, not by the judgement of someone else. There were many reasons Malik has gone over with before when he thought of why he became a pirate. Many of those reasons involve living as a type of freedom fighter, going on innumerable adventures, enjoying life to the fullest, and helping out others while he strives for his dream of becoming a great hero. When he was close enough to his foes, he stopped momentarily in front of the one guarding their leader. Then, he dashed to his right, going for one of the lower-ranking soldiers on the corresponding side. He halted his movement for a moment and turned on his feet to face the brave, noble young man. Recognizing the teen near him, the marine turn on his legs as well and held up his sword in both hands to prepare where the boy will strike. Malik simply rushed forward, seemingly without anything planned for the group before him. The soldier facing him at the moment raised his weapon high in the air quickly. He then, swung it downward. When the young adolescent was close enough, he didn't raised a hand to attack. Instead, he kept moving forward. He was able to evade the amateur swordsman's slash by moving to his right. He the managed to slip pass the young man and enter the fray.

"Let's see, if this plan works out, like I hope. If not, then, I'll be in big trouble." The young fighter of a teenage pirate thought from the innards of his mind. When he moved in at a close enough distance, he soon stopped in the middle. He was no where the marines had him surrounded with barely an opening of escape. Some make consider actions such as this dangerous and they were right. To win certain battles, there is always have to be a risk taken to achieve victory. One of those risks was defeat. For the adolescent warrior now having himself trapped in the center of the scuffle of soldiers, he was risking more than his moment of victory. He was gambling whether or not he will be able to claim the fruit he sought after for a while now. Additionally, with Zatania hoping the Malik will arrive back to the family inn safely and possessing the powers her deceased grandfather and his great uncle had, he was take a rather large chance. With so much on the line,he can't possibly give up now. Since they outnumber him from six to one, he was going have to use their odds against them, which should put him at a fair advantage, more beneficial than one might think from their point-of-view while observing the teen caught in the middle of a formation. The soldiers all turned on their feet and faced the young fighter that had managed to slip pass their defenses. While he did slipped pass them, they see he was now surrounded by their comrades on every end. This caused the leader walked through his teammates to smirk. Obviously, he thinks he's got Malik caught, but it was actually the other way around. They just didn't see it yet, which was understandable from how the situation appeared at this very moment. It was seeming, like he was the one cornered. Shifting his position to his offensive stance, the young warrior prepares himself for a piling of marines ready to take down an enemy that, to them, seemed to be a highly dangerous foe. The leader of the group stopped where he was, now facing the teen martial artist at a fair distance.

"You couldn't beat us one at a time, so you decided to just attack us from the inside out? What were you thinking to begin with. Where you are standing, we can easily do away with you. You can be all of us, but not at the same time. I know that may seem unfair, but your threat has grown to the point where we can't ignore you. Your bounty had entered the millions, which reflects you as a worthy adversary. I cannot allow to go further. You I do, then, you will just become a much greater enemy than what was presume. Now soldiers, prepare to return this boy to Baterilla's prison." The young man of justice said, explaining his intentions on why he was here ambushing the adolescent fighter to begin with. From what he heard correctly, he was a pirate with a bounty with more than a million berries. The fact that he had become that famous in a short amount of time made slightly happy. He was becoming a known man, while not powerful yet, he was still a formidable foe. He keep his expression serious and focused. It was on the inside that he was smiling. With the marine leader's last words before continuing his fight with Malik, the soldiers that surrounded the boy charged him with all they had. As they grew closer, each of them raised the blades held tightly in their right hands, poised to inflict damage onto the child. One soldier on his right and another on his left from the back were closer to him, which marked the execution of his plan. He crouched his legs to ready himself to react. Blinded by cockiness from a proclaimed ensured victory, they obviously didn't see what the young pirate was trying to do. When two of the soldiers closest to him were at an appropriate enough distance, they both slashed downward with great force. At that moment, it was decided he moved. He managed to dodged the sword slashes by evading to his left diagonally. The blades that missed him stuck themselves into the dirt below the two marines holding them. Additionally, the momentum gained from charging at the teenager had caused them run their heads into each other when their weapons became stuck. He turned on his feet to get a better angle on where the foes he was facing where coming from to better dodge their attacks.

The young fighter said nothing, not even hinting as to what he was doing. He simply let out a small smirk at seeing how well his tactic was coming into fruition. It was marvelous to see how well one's intelligence to turn a battle around. Brute strength can only do so much without the guidance of a person's mind. When combined, both can create an unstoppable force. Upon the collision of their craniums, the two soldier let out a roar of pain, further indication of how much harm it has done to them. They both let go of their swords and took a few steps back. Holding onto their foreheads in pain with both of their hands, they were in a daze and could tell left from right. The temporary condition left them vulnerable for attack, which Malik took chance to utilize to his advantage. He turned on both of his feet and rushed toward them. He stopped a good distance at the soldier on his right from which angle he faced. He then clenched both of his fists, preparing an assault he had formulated in his mind. He reared his right arm back and focused on where he wanted his attack to land on his foe's body. He then, thrusted his fist towards the man in front of him. The punch managed to connect to the soldier's stomach. This caused the marine to release a pain-filled gagging sound. The teenage martial artist followed up with three more punches to his chest. Due to still being dazed, the man was unable to dodge them. They all successfully made contact with him. The soldier then, let out a few grunt of great discomfort. Indeed the boy possessed great strength. As such, this was going to prove to be very agonizing experience for not just the young marine, but his comrades as well. To finish his barrage of powerful blows, he decided to complete it with a signature technique of his. He reared back his right fist and clenched it firmly, concentrating a large portion of his strength into it. When he was prepared, he thrust it forward with a strong force following. The blow managed to connect with the left side of the young marine's face. The strength of the attack was such that he was knocked off of his feet, releasing a grunt of pain afterwards. He plummeted to the ground with no sign of recovery. He landed on his back with a thud, falling unconscious when he did.

[Techniques Used: Ryuutakashi: 250 - 15 = 235 Stamina]

The other soldier's that were trying to rush the young teen halted their stride, watching in sudden shock. Before they could do anything else, Malik turned his attention towards the second of the duo who were previously try to cut him and ended up hitting their heads. Due to that collision from earlier, the second of the two soldiers that wanted to have a chance to fight Malik was still dazed. He was not going to let this chance slip away, so he stood from where he was and and bend his legs for movement in a desired direction. He made a quick dash  towards the temporarily afflicted marine, ready to ease his pain and relieve him of conscious decisions. Because of his current condition, the soldier continued to stagger and found it difficult to concentrate and everything in his sight kept spinning, threatening to throw off his balance. When the boy was close enough to the foe he was currently facing in this battle royale, he clenched his right hand into a fist. He then, thrusted it towards the man, who momentarily lacked the coordination to stand up completely straight. It managed to successfully connect in the middle of the man's face. This force of the blow caused him to stumble back. What he didn't realize is that he was move backwards too far, threatening to fall into the water. Malik noticed this and immediately and quick rushed for the young soldier, who etched closer to danger. He was well-aware of what was dwelling within this waters he walked around, the Bananawani. His awareness of the terrain around him complimented his concern for the lives of others. He had always cared for those he considered his friends, his family. He would even protect those he didn't even know. It wasn't about knowing when it came to dangerous situations such as that, it about doing what was right. If he would left someone he could've saved get hurt, just because he didn't know them well enough, then, that would be close to be apathetic and a jerk in his own terms. He may be his enemy now, but he was still a living being, who is doing what he truly believed was right. Trying to stop someone, who he thought was a dangerous person. While they were partly true, he was also a good-hearted boy.

"He may be my adversary now, but he still deserved to live. He is a noble person with strong beliefs of justice. It was the right thing to do, after all. At a time such as this, it was time throw logic in the back of my head for now and take noble action. I may be a pirate, but that doesn't define who I am. I choose who I want to be, a heroic, virtuous, and justly fighter. I am a warrior with a desire for battle, am I." The young martial artist thought, knowing that it was your past and the choices you make that help define who your are. What your are is what God has already decided. Despite the faction he was a part of, that doesn't mean he is vile and unjust as with other pirate he may come across. He judged who he was, it wasn't something to decide by anyone else. Although, he can understand why many people were so apprehensive around pirates. There are not many people of this affiliation, who would willing help others. They would much rather hurt, maim, or spread suffering. For a virtuous, kind-hearted boy such as Mali, he found such behavior intolerable by various means. It also didn't help that they do it for fun. Thinking about it made him angry to no end. Seeing the teen dashing towards one of his comrades, a marine by the left side groups leader decided to go an stop the child, thinking he was going to do worse before he dropped the man into the danger-infested waters. The young soldier immediate took a few steps towards the boy, who was running towards his afflicted comrade, but the leader held out his left hand, which put a stop to his follower's movement. He turned towards his chief, a slightly stunned and questioned expression. He wondered why he stopped him to begin with when the boy they were fighting could very well do worse to their friend. The leader simply turned his gaze to the young soldier, who he could see was conflicted with the actions of his commander as well as what was occurring at the moment.

"Don't, soldier, he may be a pirate, however, he has eyes that would make you second-guess the way pirate do things. Just watch, you'll see what I mean. Out comrade is not in danger falling to watery demise." The marine leader of the group said, a solemn expression, which told his follower that their was more to this teenage fighter than meets the eyes. When their afflicted comrade was at the edge of the lake from staggering into a good distance away from his current foe, his body began to tip back. Realizing he was going to fall, he tried to wave his hands forward, to help balance himself on his feet more easily, but to no avail. He knew full-well that Bananawani live in this part of the island known as Baterilla. He can only close his eyes as he waited as he fell towards he demise. When Malik was close enough, he reach out with his right hand grabbed the marine's shirt, saving him from falling into the water. When the sound of his body splashing in the water or the feeling of being soaked in liquid didn't come, the young man opened his eyes. When he saw who had stopped him from falling into the lake, he opened his orbs fully in shock. Out of all the people that could've saved him from a premature death, it was a pirate, the same teen he tried to hurt and return to jail. The other soldiers just stood where they were, too stunned and nervous at seeing what happens next. They could do nothing, but watch now. Malik himself knew that he held the fate of another person in his own hands. It was a powerful feeling, one he didn't expect to experience as he traveled through the forest, searching for the object of his task for an important friend of his. Without hesitation in the slightest, the young warrior pulled the marine away from the lake, not wanting to draw the attention of the infamous Bananawani as tempting them was the not the best idea for this situation. When he had gotten the soldier at a save enough distance away from the edge of the lake, he let go of his shirt. Due to the daze he was still in from hitting his head against his now-unconscious comrade, the man still staggered before falling to his knees and putting both of his hands onto the soft dirt to steady himself. He turned on his feet and quickly walked towards the center of the marines that surrounded him. He slowly passed the person he saved. When he stopped, he turned on his feet and faced the leader, who still had a serious expression, but underneath that visage is a bundle of gratitude.

"Boy, I must thank you for what you did. I have meet multiple pirates since my first days as part of a the marines. I have see so many that were vile, cold-blooded, and cruel, that I thought you were one of them. However, I was wrong to think that way, especially with how young your are and I am sorry. You did, after all, save one of my soldiers and I am in debt to you. As a show of gratitude, I shall hold off anyone, pirate or marine, that may come your way for as long as I possibly can, even if they are my superiors in terms of authority. As I am now a marine in debted to you, I now carry a certain weight on my soldier, but I shall bare with it for you a true noble warrior." The young marine said, shocking the group he lead as he praised and thanked the boy what he did for them. Despite how flabbergasted they were all are, they were also grateful for the way the boy just rescued one of their own from a watery death. The boy felt slight embarrassment from what the soldier said, on ow he thanked him for his deed. He lifted his right hand and put it behind his head and rubbed it. He certainly didn't expected this from those, who were supposed to be a pirate's mortal enemy. Their was nothing much to thank him for. He felt he was the one, who caused the mess in the first place, even if the soldier that would've meet he demise from his dazed condition was partly to blame. Regardless, the boy felt flattered at what the leader of the group said. He looked down to the ground out of embarrassment. He was thankful he wasn't blushing as it would only serve to cause even more of an embarrassing moment. The soldiers he was fighting before simply gazed at how the child acted now than how he fought them bravely before. Now that they got a closer look at him, he seem almost innocent, but at the same time mature, well-aware of what was happening around him. The young leader of the soldiers gave a smile as he found the way Malik was acting to be uplifting. It gave him hope to many other pirates, belief that pirates were as different as individuals as they too were living beings.

Both the young pirate and the marine faced each other from opposite sides as the many men, who followed the soldier of the government surrounded where they stand. Looking at this boy now and how he innocently he act out of the compliments he gave him, the leader of the group was, at the moment, at a loss of words. He was beginning to find it hard to believe that this boy was like any other pirate he had seen. Unlike the others, he was faster, stronger, more durable, and more powerful. It was obvious after seeing how easily this teen had dealt with two of his men without mistake. He was even noble and a brave warrior. He went out of his way to rescue one of his soldiers he couldn't on his own due to the given distance between him and his comrade. The leader can only imagine where this child had com from, where he learned the ways of combat, and who had taught him all that had resulted in him growing into a strong, kind, and valiant young man. Even though he was a pirate and he was obviously a marine, he finds it a great honor to be presented in front of a real warrior. He saw for a moment in the eyes of this young fighter that he had tasted the bitter flavor of defeat, by who, he didn't know. However, it was obvious that he used said defeat to help him grow further into a more experienced fighter. This teenager was unlike the one with a bounty less than a million. Now it was more than a million and just keeps growing with each action he takes. If he were to beat him and his comrades at this moment, it was easily predicted that his fame will just increase much further. After seeing how noble a person this boy was, he decided to play fair as this pirate knows of honor, despite being in his adolescence. With a surprising turn-of-events, the man lifted his sword that rested in his right hand and sheathed it. The other soldier watching this behold were lost as they hoped their leader was not giving up after just getting started with fighting this young warrior. Malik has seen this and put his right hand down by his side and waited to see what happens next as the man no longer seemed to be a danger at the moment.

"I have a proposition for you, child. As to help honor the debt I have incurred from you, each one of us will fight one at a time. The reason we tried to attack you all at once was because we thought that your were a pirate, you fought dirty like the others we have faced in the past, but I see how wrong I was now. You fight fair and with honor. You are completely different from the pirates I have meet. One, you are a kid with a good heat. Two, care others besides yourself and, three, You help and protect the lives of others simply because you want to or out the kindness of your own heart. I cannot put such unfair odds against a good person. It was disgrace my honor as a marine and make me as rotten as the pirates I have taken down in the past." The leader of the marine group said, stated his reasons for why he decided to play fair. He was right, if he kept doing what he and his men had been from the beginning when they first meet the boy face-to-face, then, he really would be no better than the vile individuals he had taken into custody into the island's prison within the past. It was obvious that this boy was nothing like those other pirates he had meet. In fact, he is a true man, a true warrior, far better than any pirate he has meet so far. Hearing that the leader desired a more even battle now was unexpected by Malik. It actually stunned the marines that heard him less. They had to guess it was only right that they do the boy a favor after saving one of their own. While they still feel hesitant on letting a pirate have his way, they had little choice to comply with their leader's decision. The teen was thankful for the man's hospitality. He had hope to meet a marine with a strong sense of doing right much greater than a hatred for pirates. Despite what this soldier thought before, it would seem that Malik had changed his mind with his action and acts of selflessness. The strong goodness in the hearts of many had that effect on others. The young fighter was one who's light radiated innocence that seemed to dissipate darkness in it's range, giving those a positive enlightenment on changing their ways. It was then, Malik decided to speak up in response to the noble man's proclamation.

"I accept your proposition, good sir. That is very nice of you and I have to say that you, too, are very honorable. I greatly respect that. This would mean both sides have an equal chance at victory." The young warrior said, noting a fact that would definitely benefit him and his enemies at the moment. The marine who lead the group of soldiers simply smile out of agreement. He steadily took a few steps back to stand on the sidelines more appropriately and stay out of the way of those, who were trying to fight with one another for right reasons. Malik continued to just stand where he was as he can see around himself that there was no need to move another. One of the marines on the other hand decided to have a chance at trying to defeat the young skilled teenager. The soldier he teen fighter saved earlier looked behind from behind the boy. before turning to gaze at the far end of the circular formation that his comrades tried to form when they all surrounded him earlier. He steadily got up from where he was kneeling down on the soft earth below his feet as the condition he was in from previous still had it's grip onto him. Also it was not as detrimental as before. He managed to stand successfully on both feet without staggering at first. He then, started to walk in the direction opposite from where Malik was facing. He carefully concentrated on where he was going and made an effort to keep he balance as he struggled to make it to where he friends were. The adolescent warrior turned his his gaze to look behind himself to see how the young marine is fair with the condition he was in now. It was seem the after-effects of the collision of the craniums of both him and the now unconscious soldier near him were still active and were even affecting his body. It was obvious he wouldn't be fighting at the moment nor will he even bother combating him in the near future. It was safe to say that he had already beaten two of the soldier, who previously made up this formidable group he was doing battle with. The child decided to turn on his feet to look at the afflicted man he was fighting and down at the unconscious marine he had defeated earlier. He then, nodded his head and walked over to the fallen individual before kneeling down and picking. He swung the unconscious marine's right arm over his shoulders and firmly stood from where he knelt.

"Before we begin these matches of your, I would like to get two of your men to safety. I can see how damaged they are and they obviously need rest, especially the young man struggling just to walk." The adolescent martial artist said,  allowing those of the group, who were able to hear him, to be noted on his concern for the defeated in this area. They may not be his allies or even acquaintances, but they were living beings who were hurt and deserved much rest for how they fought valiantly in the end. To the boy, they were innocent individuals, who were trying to do what was right and as the kind, caring person he was, he could leave these two brave soldier by themselves. It was actually hard to watch one of them in such states, especially the man who still struggled to get to the other side of his comrade's circular formation. Malik immediately started to walk up towards dazed young marine to help him better steady him self as he took each step, slowly making his way to his teammates. The soldiers who stood on the sidelines from afar were taken aback at the selflessness, kindness, and empathetic attitude this boy is displaying. He was so caring, so passionate, traits they have never seen in any pirate they have come across. It was due to this that they wondered, if they will meet any other, like this child before them. He had such an optimistic, positive, and amazing perception on the world. He was not blinded by greed, by hatred, or by jealously even. He was allowing the peace in his heart to guide him to doing what is right. The leader of the group watched with joy as he was happy he can fight a noble warrior as him. Deciding to help the boy out a marine on the chief's right ran up to the young teen, wanting to help his men towards much needed rest. When he was close enough, he passed Malik as it was clear he didn't need any help with the unconscious soldier hanging over his soldiers. He was easily walking without any difficulty. When the boy saw the soldier pass by him, he observed the young man going over to his comrade. When he was at a good enough distance, the follower of the group place his left hand on his friend right soldier, causing him to stop and look behind. Malik also stopped where he was to give them time to talk.

"Hey relax, I'll help to a much needed place to get some rest. You can sleep off the dizziness that's been messing with you since your last battle. The pirate, Malik J. Roberts is help our other fallen comrade to a safe spot as well. You don't have to worry, from what we've seen, he is a truly caring person. I'm actually glad he is nice to begin with. Now come on, put your arm over my shoulders, so I can help you." The young marine soldier said to his afflicted comrade, explaining what is happening right now to the probably-confused soldier. The said young man nodded understand every word his friend said and raised his right arm. The marine trying to help him out walked under the appendage of his teammate and let it fall. It landed softly over his shoulders and with the soldier it belonged to leaning some of his weight on his friend, they began walking towards the sidelines. Malik soon followed them, easily catching up to them with his impressive speed.

Malik never expected to be bonded with the enemy, but then again, he never knew he would save a foe from certain death. With the two soldiers they were carrying too beaten or afflicted to fight, it only left four marines for him to battle. It would be two fighter less to do battle with. He hoped they will still pose a challenge, despite their decrease in their number. It wouldn't be long until the teen and the marine helping him with guiding the daze soldier would reach a place suitable for their needs. A location where they can rest and watch their friend due battle with someone they previously considered their foe, if possible. After the actions this boy had display earlier in the confrontation with them, they have second guesses about his intentions on he reasons here, who he was, and his why he wanted the Sand-Sand Fruit. They know all too well from the information that had gained seemingly out of nowhere. It was a Devil Fruit containing the power to create, control, and transform into limitless amounts of sand. That is all both they and Malik has knowledge. While they gained what they know about this fruit from a reliable source, the teenager learned all he wanted to at the moment from his friend, Zatania. Speaking of whom, he wondered how she was fairing at her family inn, well-aware of his absence and the dangers he could put himself in. He realized that she must be worried very much for his safety, so he tries to complete this task as soon as possible. With wondering how his female friend his doing and handling him being out in a dangerous forest with ferocious creatures, Malik noticed that he and the marine helping him have made it to the sidelines where they can lay the fallen soldier on a resting place were they can get much sleep and relaxation. The men, who stood in their path politely stepped aside to allow both of them passage. When they passed through the soldiers kind enough to let them through, the young warrior turned his gaze to the right to try and find a suitable area to relax. He spotted a large tree provided with shade to cool someone off from the heat of the sun. The boy moved his left arm over to the torso of the unconscious man he was carrying and got a tight grip on it. With his right hand free along with being close enough for the soldier to notice and gestures he makes, Malik pointed to the tree where they could leave these marines to rest.

"Over there, that location possesses plenty of shade to keep one cool in this type of weather. Additionally, the way it's shape appears would suit these two well as a place to relax and regain their strength. It will especially benefit the one still suffering from the collision to his head. He looks like to be struggling to stay on his feet." The young fight said to the marine helping him with his selfless deed in helping two men recover despite their identities as his foes, since it was the right for him to do such a task, being the caring, warmhearted person he was. Noticing the boy's gesture with his right arm and listening to what he said, the young soldier nodded his way, understanding the situation very well. After the pointing to the tree with his hand, Malik then, used it to hold onto the arm of the knocked out marine hanging over his shoulders. Next, he turned on his own two feet and immediate started walking in the direction of the large wooden trunk he picked out for the two damaged justly men they were helping to get the rest that was necessary for them to regain their strength and to especially relieve the marine that had temporarily impaired vision. The boy had interesting speed as he was already ahead of the marine carrying one of his comrades. It was a good distance away from the area where most of the fighting will start, but still close enough to allow two of these men they were assisting to watch what was happening and gain a better grip on the situation. When they had arrived at the desired destination of the teen's choice, Malik carefully laid the unconscious solider on the right side of the tree while the marine assisting him gently sat the vision-impaired comrade of his on the left. They both had to crouch on their feet to sit them down as carefully as possible. At that moment, both stood up from where they were. They exchanged glances before nodding towards one another, knowing that they were going have to do battle soon. The marine, who was helping Malik, found himself to be a little hesitate, after witnessing his nobility and what goodness he was capable. He reassured himself that to honor the boy, he will give it his all when he had to fight him. Both individual turned on their feet and immediate started walking towards the circular formation that the group had formed previously.

"You don have to worry about holding back when you start fighting me. Give it everything you have. I would prefer it no other way than that. We may be enemies now, but who knows. We may become great allies one day." The adolescent child said as if sensing the distress within the soldier he was walking with. After the events that have occurred recently, Malik can see from the corner of his gaze that he was anxious on what to do in a battle against a person, who had saved the life of one of his friends, but was also supposed to be his enemy. He had to admit, it was a tough decision to make. It felt like fighting a close friend. Thankfully, the boy will be continuing his confrontation with someone else. He can see that the marine helping him out earlier was not ready to do battle with the teen just yet. He had to give him enough time to think things through. At least until the soldier was resolved to fight Malik himself. When they made it to the formation, the same marines that had let them exit stepped aside to allow entrance once again. The soldier walking with the teenager decided to stay behind with his comrades while the boy simply kept walking towards the leader standing beside a marine on his left. When he was at an appropriate enough distance, he stood in front of him with a more serious expression that portrayed his determination for combat. It was evidence that this boy was a strong warrior. Despite being so young, his eyes tell of many battles and much growth. Underestimating such a fighter would be a grave mistake as the recipient of this boy's blows will leave them with broken bones and noticeable bruises on their bodies. The leader can only wonder what the child must've gone through to achieve this level of skill and power. From what Malik saw, power alone only does so much without the strength to control it. In the case it can be controlled, it proved to be important and an unstoppable force. What is interesting as God's Children, everyone is born with power.

"Now that your comrades are in a safe place where they can rest peacefully, we can swiftly continue our battle. As this was your idea, I believe you should be the person to choose who is to fight first out of the four present." The adolescent fight said, giving the large of the group of soldiers the chance to pick the boy's opponent. The was rather generous of the teen, in the marine's own opinion. He simply turned his head towards his left to face his loyal follower, who looked back at him and nodded. This soldier will be the one to go first. He was near his leader in power and was second in command of the entire group. It was up to him to give this boy a challenge. Of course, the second-in-command never meet a teenager such as him. He was brave, selfless, valiant. The traits of a noble, heroic warrior of a man. Despite being so young, this adolescent seemed so mature for his age. Evidence was show in the recent events that occurred since meeting him along with his group. Turning to face the young fighter, the soldier on the group's leader's left walked forward. He resolved for a new task at hand, which was fight to his fullest against the brave, adventurous, youthful martial artist. When he was close enough to the boy, he halted his moment of traverse and stood facing the child he will soon battle. Malik simply nodded towards the man and shifted into his offensive stance. The marine also switched into a similar position. As he is anxious to begin the match, the soldier decided he should be the one to start with the first move. He rushed forward as he clenched both his hands into firm fists. Malik prepared for what may come to him in this direction he faces. When the marine was close enough, he thrusted his right fist forward. The managed to dodge it by moving to his own right. As a form of retaliation, the teen performed a powerful knee strike with his left leg. With the counterattack so sudden, the marine had little time to react. The attack managed to hit the man in his gut, causing him to grunt loudly in pain. This battle seemed to be leaning in Malik's favor from the leader's point-of-view on the sidelines.

The remaining three marines standing on the sideline watch as the battle unfolds before all of their eyes. They tried to make up the formation that seemed to fall apart the more they each stepped in to as a result of wanting to continue this confrontation with this powerful youth. They have certainly never meet anyone, like Malik, before. He may be a teenager, but he was stronger than ordinary humans as well as faster. His skill seemed to pass the standards of many of his people. The leader himself never thought his race was capable of such feats. It may be due to the fact that he had neglect what man can do to begin with. His stance remained firm as he watched the current battle between the marine that stood on his left and the boy, who selflessly helped save the life of one of his own men. He had to admit that this boy was incredibly fast, probably too fast for his second-in-command as it was obvious that the young fighter was easily turning the tables on the man. From looking into the child's eye before, he could tell he had been through more battle than one would expect. The experiences he had witnessed also helped him grow into a more formidable combatant of a person. This fact proved to make Malik an even more powerful being to defeat. There was another part of him that seemed to be as much part of his strength than what he had been through. The leader can only guess that is lies in the boy's soul. What that trait was had to be something of great virtue. The boy immediately retracted his left leg from the the gut of the marine he was fighting and placed his foot on the ground. Rearing back his right fist, the teen prepared for another strike while utilizing one of his arms. Seeing this, the young soldier, tried to stand up straight and focus on the attack that was to come. The young warrior thrusted his fist forward, aiming to ht the man in his face. Thankfully for the marine, he was able to evade the maneuver by moving his head to his own right, effective dodging the strike. The soldier than decided to retaliate on his his own terms. Looking for a place to land a decisive blow, he performed a strong kick with his right leg. With the successfully evasion and quick reaction, Malik had little choice, but to endure it.

The attack manged to land in Malik's lower abdomen. The force of the blow caused him to grunt inaudibly. This is due to him being a quiet person much of the time. Suddenly, the boy chose a different initiative by grabbing the marine's leg with his left hand before he could retract it. He then, clenched his right hand into a fist, but this time, he was aiming at an area his foe couldn't evade. His chest, or abdomen as the soldier also hit the boy's. He thrusted his burled palm forward, strong force put behind the blow. The punch was able to hit the marine in his ribs, an obvious sign that the tactic worked. The impact made the marine grunt in pain yet again. Getting damaged by your enemy's attack to get close enough for you to harm them yourself was a risking maneuver as Malik still received damage, but it was clever. The marines standing and observing this fight from a fair distance were in awe at how the boy, from out of nowhere, just thought up a tactic after he was hit with their comrades latest attack. It was true, the idea just came up when he was hit the soldier's kick. While sudden, it was impressive. One mustn't forget about the teen's gifted intelligence along with his adaptability to various situations. It is what made him and even more dangerous foe to begin with. The leader watching this battle unfolded simply smile at how well the boy was fairing against his second-in-command. It was not everyday you meet a child with great skill in combat, especially one as noble as this adolescent right before him and his comrades. The battle was starting to appear it could go either way not. Both seem to have equivalent levels of skill, but the leader has a feel Malik has yet to reveal to the marines watching him what he is truly capable of. While he was indeed enjoy the fight between him and the soldier that was second-in-command, he had no time to waste with the will of his deceased uncle and his friends grandfather on the line. He had to give it everything he had to beat the remaining marines here. How powerful they were didn't matter, he will defeat everyone of them, if he had to. He was thankful towards the leader for stating that his followers should fight the boy one at a time.

"The man in charge of this entire squadron is a seems like a nice, but strong guy. Allowing one of his men at a time to fight me was quite noble. Paying nobility onto nobility, seems reminiscent on the opposite of paying evil onto evil." The young fighter thought, grateful for the leader's generosity. Letting go of the leg of the marine he was doing battle with, which was being held in his left hand, Malik allowed his current foe to place his foot onto the ground. In that same moment, the soldier jumped back a couple of feet to gain a certain amount of distance between him and the child. With this boy's intellect combined with his mastery in martial arts, he was a tough opponent indeed. He wonders how he will fair against such a person. It was also quite difficult to imagine someone more powerful than this teen before them. For Malik, he believed that there was always someone stronger than oneself. It was just another reason to become stronger. He knew there were people out in the world that are far more powerful than he was. Steele was one of them. However, an Admiral was far beyond what the ensign he was defeated was capable of. The child returned to his combative position and waited for what the man hand in store for him. He had to admit that this battle was starting to turn out exciting. He was fighting against an opponent, who could harm him with enough given effort. However, Malik could inflict as much damage onto him as he could onto himself. It was just as the leader of the group of marines though, the battle could go either way.  It was certainly interesting when thought that way. The marine battling the boy shifting his body into an offensive stance as well. He was preparing for another assault. However, this time he was trying a different approach rather than charge straight-on. First, the soldier dash forward to keep on track with his plan. Malik thought that his foe was trying another direct tactic, so he prepared for what will come his way. When the marine was close enough, he slid to the boy's left. When he stopped, he perform a kick with his right leg. The teenager didn't expected this, so he was unable to dodge the attack. The kick was successfully able to land on the boy's back. The force of the attack was strong enough to knock the child forward, causing him to stagger slightly. Recovering quickly, he turned on his feet and decided to go on the offensive.

"Nice move, but now it is my turn." The adolescent warrior said before charging in a straight toward the marine. As this tactic was similar to the one he tried previously, he was expected the outcome to be of a similarity as well. He prepared himself for the prediction to come true and punch him in the face. However, this was much different from the marine's tactic. It was get him to think he was simply charge at him blindly, but it was really to get him to lower his guard. The Leader obviously saw this, but said nothing as he didn't want to give any unfair advantages over the child, especially when he was having a good time in a good fight. Before the teen could get close enough, the marine soldier clenched his right hand into a fist and reared it back. When the child was close enough, he thrusted it forth, expecting it to hit head-on, but there was a surprise the young fighter had in store for the man. Before the attack could hit, he quickly ducked below the punch, effective dodging the attack with ease. The definitely caught the soldier off-guard, leaving him wide-open for a counterattack, which Malik quickly took with the time he had at the moment. He clenched his right hand into a fist. He then, released a powerful uppercut. The strike managed to hit the man in his chin, cause him to be knocked off of his feet a few feet away from the boy. The marine ended up landing on his back. The teen stood up as he looked down on the soft earth where the soldier was currently at. A few moments have passed before the man started to move. He struggled to stand up as he caressed his chin with his right hand. That last punch definitely did a number of the marine. Any harder and it would have knocked him unconscious. He had to be careful with this boy, he was clever in his own right as well as strong. In fact, he was much stronger than any human he had ever met.

Shifting to his fighting stance, the young warrior wait for the marine to get back up on the ground, so they can where they had left off. After struggling to stand up from from the recent blow he suffered from the strong child, he was back on his feet. Though, he was still caressing his afflicted chin. The soldier certainly knew that the boy can give one dangerous uppercut. It also hurt very much. Now that he was standing on his own two feet, the man switched to a more offensive position to keep his confrontation with the formidable teen martial artist going. Both combatants stared each other down, waiting for one or the other to make the next move. The soldier observing this event remained calm and focused as it was not their time to do battle with Malik yet. This fight was turning out to be suspenseful from the leader's point-of-view. Decided that he would continue, the teenager made a dash in a straightforward motion. The soldier prepared himself for what was about to come. It was obvious from how this boy fights and his high intellect that this was not going to be a predictable maneuver. It would seem he keeps his opponents always guessing. It was a clever strategy. In many battles, a combatant should keep his enemies confused on their motives while they fight. It was a type of principle many live by. To be nearly unpredictable at all times. This will definitely help provide plenty of openings for the young pirate to inflict damage upon the man. The problem was that he hardly know was the young warrior was going to do next or will he strike next until it happens at the last minute. At that point, he would be unable to evade and defenseless against the boy's power. When the teen was close enough to the marine, he slid to his left. The soldier kept track of the adolescent fighter's movement. He clenched his left hand into a fist and pulled it back.. He thrusted it forth, trying land a hit on the boy. Unfortunately for him, he was able to dodge the attack by moving his head to his own left as the marine was aiming in that same spot. Malik then, clenched his right hand into a fist for a counterattack. It was his turn to go on the offensive. He threw it forward with great force aiming to inflict significant damage with it. It was able to connect with the marine's chest, causing him to release sounds of pain from his lips.

"This boy was powerful, how am i suppose to defeat someone of this level.He hasn't even eaten a Devil Fruit. I actually believe that other marines would shudder at the mere thought of this kid eating one." The solder thought within the innards of his mind, trying to fathom the outcome of what might take place, if Malik had successfully eaten the Sand-Sand Fruit all while during the moments where he endures the inflicted damage from the child's physical attacks. For a Logia, ordinary attacks such as punches and kick will no longer work that easily on them. As people that have eaten a Devil Fruit are of this category, their bodies are composed of a natural elemental force, which they can turn into to allow simple attacks to pass through them. This makes it near impossible to hurt them. The only none limitation to this application is to hit them with their natural elemental weakness. This will make them vulnerable and the battle will be much easier on both terms. Speaking of how powerful Malik is, his own attack pack a wallop. He can knock out someone with his bare hands alone. In fact, he was just about to do that. He was trying to defeat as many of these marines as possible without seriously injuring them in the process. His techniques were powerful and can inflict more damage than what he originally intended. Even break a persons bones. These were upstanding, virtuous men. They don't deserve that kind of pain. They should be cleanly beaten and knocked out in a safe manner. Following up with the connection of his right fist to the chest of the soldier he repeated his previous attack starting with his left, then, back to his right. This will create a chain of punches that will measure up to eight in total. Due to the sheer number, it was a move quite difficult to dodge in the first place. While the soldier managed to evade four of the boy's blows, he was unable to steer away from the other half of his attack. He found himself suffering two punches in his gut, which caused momentary grunt of discomfort. One was directed at his abdomen, while less grunt was heard, it was still painful. The last of the many blows that were able to bypass he defense has landed in his face.

"That should by me some time for another plan." The young fighter thought as his last attack caused the man to cover his visage in pain while use both of his hands. He was temporarily blind and such, Malik can land a finishing blow that will bring him triumph over this mighty soldier. While the marine was momentarily robbed of his on sight, the teen took this chance to quickly move behind the man before he had a chance to reestablish his presence. The boy positioned his right hand to make a chopping motion on the body of his opponent, most notably his neck. He thrusted the far end of hand towards the desire area on his enemy's physique. It contained great force, which will further increase it's efficiency. The attack was able to hit the marine's neck. This caused the aforementioned man to open his eyes in shock before falling towards the solid earth as they slowly closed. When he landed on the ground with a loud thud, his orbs were completely sealed shut. He was now unconscious, marking the moment of victory for the young martial artist. He stood up straight for a few seconds before walking over to the limp body of his fallen foe. When he was close enough, he crouched down and and swung the right arm of the marine soldier over his own shoulders. He then, stood up from where he knelt down and turned on his feet. He soon began walking towards the tree where he laced the other two defeated soldier from earlier with the help of an ally from the side of his enemies. He walked at a fast rate. He didn't want to waste anytime with his battles against these formidable soldiers. He didn't want to risk the luxury of having Zatania wait any longer. She was tough from the way he saw her act in the short moments of friendship he had with her, but he could see wen he got back from Baterilla's jail that she was anxious about his current condition. It was no wonder that she gave him chores to do. Speaking of which, when he finishes this mission he was on. He will immediately go to completing where he had left off with any other jobs around the family inn that include his help.

"Just wait a little longer, Zatania. I promise I will find and eat this Devil Fruit to take on the will of our loved ones as well as to keep any vile, fiendish, scum that would dare to slander their names and use it for their own diabolical purposes. Until then, Lord, I ask that you give her peace of mind." The young warrior thought, inwardly praying for God to help ease the stress his friend might be feeling. He quietly prayed for her as he walked over to the tall tree that served as a perfect resting place for the beaten, battered, and bruised. Praying to the Lord has benefits, such as seeing miracles come one's way. Miracles are a Work of God, if one does not believe is such things, they obvious don't believe in The Lord. Without God, with believing in him to begin with, a person will find nothing of pain and suffering come there way. No matter what they do in life, they will fall, fall into a pit of despair and become a walking corpse. It was very tragic, yet so predictable to know what will become of such faithless individuals. In Malik opinion, they seem to know nothing of life or how good it can be when one allows it to. How your life turns out is your choice. It was the same with the what you choose to eat, how you feel, even where you go next as you live to days on Earth before going to Heaven. Choosing not to believe in miracles or God is asking to suffer for the rest of your life, then, the next. Some people take life so carelessly, never realizing the consequences of their actions until it is too late. There is a lesson to be learn from such tragic events, life is precious. That is all Malik has to say on such matters from time to time. Until he says more about it later. When he made it to where two of the six marines that followed him were placed down to regain their strength, he crouched down and placed the unconscious body of his former opponent near the two to allow him to reawaken safely. He then, stood back up from where he had knelt down. He turned on his feet and continued back to where he previously fought.

While walking back to the location where he was to fight the remaining number of marine soldiers, Malik began to ponder on whether the leader will fight him himself or, if, the other more low-ranking followers would do battle with him instead. Of course, with them, it would be an easier bout of physical activity to achieve victory than with the one who had the authority to command them. They were of a lower level, so the confrontation with the marine other than their leader would be less challenging. It would prove to be good exercise, but he had to find a way to make this move on much faster than with just blindly picking fights one by one. While he was walking, a idea struck his head, like a lightning bolt from a thunderstorm. He would fight with whoever was the most powerful in the group. If he would defeat the strongest of them, then, the other members of the fray will simply leave him alone and allow him to continue on his journey. He likes a good fight, but it must have a purpose or reason for why one has to do battle in the first place. Fighting with that reason will mean the the confrontation in question would be pointless. His mother taught that he cannot go pick battles and fighting mindlessly with the likeness of a beast. He has to have a reasons for why he chooses certain battles. Fighting without purpose serves no purpose. It actually seems poetic when an individual can think about with enough given free time. When he made it back to where he previously defeated the second-in-command of the group, he found himself halting and standing before the strongest of theme all, the commanding officer. The leader himself was also standing in front of the young teen with a smile plastered over his face. After witnessing the boy's cleverness, power, speed, and prowess in combat, he was actually excited to face this young fighter himself. He has a feeling that he will in any minute. After all, there was no one in his group more powerful than his second-in-command, but himself. He undid the sheath that once held the sword he had stuck into the ground close to his right. When he got it off, he swung over the handle of his blade where it hung there. He then, started to walk at a closer, but more appropriate, distance towards the boy he will soon face. In stead of waiting, for Malik to choose, he woll decide for him out of courtesy.

"Well, since you have defeated my second-in-command of my group, I am the only one left who is seen as the most powerful of them all. That only leaves one thing. It is time for us to do battle and see which one of us come out on top. I can tell you are more than prepare for what is about to come your way, boy. So I won't waste anytime with question. To move things along, if you manage to triumph over me, then, we will allow you to move on. However, if I win, you will come with us, without resistance, to the island jail where you will be locked up again for another short period of time, may be even longer, given you are already causing trouble shortly after you have been released." The man said to the child as he was walking up to the strong young teen. The offer he was giving seemed too good to pass off to another person. If he defeats the leader of the group that had been antagonizing him from the very beginning, then, he can move on in his adventure to acquire the Devil Fruit he had been looking for since his arrival at the island. The danger is that if he loses, then, he will be sentence back to Baterilla's jail for a another period of time he has yet to find out. With the course of actions he has taken after his release from being sentenced last time, it may prove to be longer than he was in before. This will definitely put in more trouble with Zatania and his family. He had worked too hard for her and himself to allow one defeat to happen here. He made a promise and he always keeps it, no matter what. The young warrior came to the point in this confrontation where he may have to utilize one or more of his techniques to win his the battle. He will also have to be careful with this man. As he was the first-in-command with the followers that were lead by him, he was obvious more powerful than the last marine he fought. The few hits the man manged to get in from that previous fight were effective in damaging him. They left only bruises, but the wounds he suffered from the battles with the ferocious tigers were far worse. Thankfully, he was healing at a fast rate. He was also glad that they were not detrimental in any way. He could deal with much pain and stand nearly any physical torture. His endurance was one to behold. With a small smirk coming onto his face, the boy simply nodded to his offer.

"I accept, when I prove victorious over you, your men will leave me to continue my quest. I have my own personal goal that prefer not to share, but I can tell you that they are now way fiendish or dark. They are very much virtuous and righteous." The adolescent fighter said, stating all the he needs to. What his motive are, he has decided to keep to himself. At least after what happen last time when he revealed the reason he was here on the island to begin with. Whether this was by arrogance, which he claims, or by overconfidence, Malik shouldn't have told the ensign, Steele, his objectives for his actions. It only rewarded him with intense pain as well as broken limbs. More notably, his legs as well as a couple or a few ribs. To top it off, it was partly the reason why he was sent to jail. Malik certainly has had much time to think things over and mature. In fact, he was able to rethink his objectives and to discard unwanted arrogance, or so he says to himself. He was definitely overtaken by confidence, which resulted in his downfall. However, it was thanks to that incident that he was able to reunite with Zatania again. He remembered the first time talking to her about where he could find the Sand-Sand Fruit. The knowledge on these objects were limited, so it was hard to exactly pinpoint where one was. He was fortunate that one ended up on Baterilla Island. What he didn't know was that the power within that same fruit once belonged to his now deceased uncle as well as his friend's grandfather, who had also passed away. They say when a person who has eaten a Devil Fruit physically dies, the power that had is reborn into the cycle, appearing in another fruit of the same type. So when the last wielder of the power from within the Sand-Sand Fruit died, that same other-worldly ability was reborn, ending up on Baterilla. At least it wasn't too far, especially at a moment such as this. There can also seems to be a form of uniqueness of powers between the wielders. Apparently, there can only be one user at the same time.

When the leader of the group of remaining marines was close enough to the teenager he was going to fight, he halted his movement and stood before the teen. Both side shifted their bodies to a more appropriate position. More simply, their combative stances. They both stared each other down, waiting for either one to make a move and began as well as finish the confrontation they were having. At least the last part of this large battle. Unfortunately for the marine, who was helping Malik earlier with two of his afflicted comrades, he wasn't going to get to fight with the young warrior any time soon. He wished he could, but he was going have to wait someday. That may take a while as it could a long time until they both meet again, whether a part of this group he was in or having his own followers. By then, he will have eaten the Sand-Sand Fruit and became living sand. Not to mention it would be difficult to hurt him as all physical attack would pass through his body. Fortunately for him and his group, he has yet to eat it. However, he will consume the fruit and when he does, he will become far more powerful than any of the marines have ever thought. It would be thanked to his intelligence, creativity, and talent for making his powers even more deadly than a person would have expected from a Logia. It was certainly interesting and incredible to note on the power a wielder of a power of this category has. They were living natural forces and couldn't be defeated in such simple ways.  Decided to be the first to start the battle that will decided the boy's fate at this moment, the teen rushed forward, fiery determination etched into his eyes. Before becoming close enough, the child swerved in a jagged motion to throw the leader of the marine group of-guard. It was to create an opening, which the adolescent will take and launch a powerful attack to inflict significant damage.

The leader of the group of marines was certainly at a loss of what to do to stop such erratic movement from an energetic teenager, who prefers to keep quiet much of the time. He kept focus as where the boy may strike first. It was proving difficult as his speed was impressive and not at the level of an ordinary human being. He again wondered what training has this boy been through to achieve such levels of power. He never thought that there was this much power within his people. He supposed that he had gotten so used to what a human was capable of when they put their mind to something that he forgotten the feat one can accomplish as well as the immense power they can achieve when they work for it. It was truly amazing, especially sense he was seeing a new peak of strength within someone of the age of a teenager such as this adolescent. The closer he grew, the more he was able to calculate the pattern of the boy's current movements. When the teen was close enough to the leader, the man clenched both of hands into fists as he prepared for an attack aimed at the young fighter. He pulled back his right arm and waited for the right moment when he would strike the teenager. When the child  temporarily halted his movement on the left side of the soldier, the marine thrusted his arm forward. In that moment, Malik was able to dodge the attack by moving to his left, ending up on the man's right. In that instant, the soldier was left with an opening, which he glad took. Clenching both of his fists strongly, he focused on where he believes he should inflict damage upon his opponent. He must be careful, this marine was on a higher level compared to his second-in-command. It was obvious he can concocted plans of his own when he so desired. However, when it comes to tactics, the teen was highly skilled in that area as well. Finding where he should inflict harm on the man's body, the boy unleashed a barrage of punches that measured up to six in total. The man saw this action and quickly adjusted himself to retaliate against the tactic. He held his arms in front of himself to block the punches the boy was directing at him to begin with. He was able to shield himself against four of them, but the last two managed to bypass his defenses and hit him in his right thigh and left jaw.

"Wow, now that's smarts, never seen a boy that could punch like that." The man thought within the innards of his own mind. He did not think that a child as young as this teen could inflict this much damage with just two punches. With close to moderate, it was still significant enough to affect him in a visible way. Not only does Malik possesses speed surpassing an ordinary human's own, but also enhanced strength. It was no wonder how he was able to defeat the man's second-in-command without any personal moves he has come up with himself. This boy was so strong, he could easily take down his lower-ranking subordinates with ease. All he had to do was to strike where they would have trouble clinging to their consciousness. The force of the two punches that managed to pass through his defensive stance, or at least the one that was able to hit his left jaw, caused him to release minor grunts, one of discomfort rather from pure pain felt when suffering serious injuries. It was now the marine soldier to retaliate from the damaged he had endured. Switching to his own offensive position, he raised his left leg and performed a barrage of kick. They all measured up to eight kicks. Seeing this, Malik shifted to a more defensive stance, ready for the blows that came his way. He was able to dodge two kicks easily. He then, held his forearms up in front of him to guard against the rest of the assault, or at least, try to. He was able to defend up to three blows before suffering the remaining three kicks to his chest. The force of the attacks pushed him up to a good amount of three feet. The boy quickly dug both his feet into the ground to stop where he was, recovering and, then, rushing forward towards the marine soldier. Because Malik had trying indirect approaches previously, the marine that he was going to try another attempt and getting pass his defenses by trying unpredictable maneuvers. However, this was not the case at this very moment. The teen quickly clenched his right hand into a fist as he grew closer. When he was as an acceptable distance, he raised his close palm and swung it forth. This was unexpected for the leader seeing the young fighter try something predictable, which was unpredictable to him, it was genius.

The attack managed to successfully hit the man in his chest. The strength of the punch was powerful enough to push him to back up to four feet. When he stopped and look forward as did Malik. Both fighters stared each other down as the remaining conscious soldier on the sidelines watched from afar. They were gasping with gaping mouths as they see their leader having trouble with this teenager, who possessed incredible skill. For the first-in-command, he was thinking on the most dangerous traits about this young warrior. The subject on his intelligence came up. How this boy fights include sheer brute force, combined with clever, and intelligent strategies that can get passed nearly any enemy. He also seems to find his way around any problem he is faced with in battle. His mind was obviously one of the most dangerous parts of him. After he was unpredictable at moment, he tried be predictable, which was something completely unexpected from the boy. He previously kept his enemies guessing as he had done now, but with moves others would have expected more easily. However, since they were so easy to predict, it caught the man by surprise, which resulted in his suffering from a powerful punch from this child. Now, it was the soldier's turn to to try moves of his own. He was planning to give it everything he has to tr and defeat this young pirate, who was growing in terms of strength and fame. If he become any more famous, more powerful foes were sure to come his way. This was the man's way of preparing the child for more dangerous battles for amazing goals to come. Since the teen was gifted with great intelligence, he may realize it sooner or later depending on what he was thinking about at the moment and the situation that may follow. For now, he was getting ready to attack. The young warrior readied himself for what was about to come his way. The soldier stood up straight and clenched both of his hands into fists. He held them both at his sides as he inhaled and exhaled greatly. When preparations were finished.

"Here I go" The leader of the group of marines simply stated as he rushed towards the young fighter. The teen watched carefully as his enemy rushed at an impressive speed. While Malik can go faster, this man was using his trait to a beneficial advantage or in an inventive way. When he was close enough, he slid under the boy vision. This was to a surprise, which left the adolescent off-guard. Taking this chance to inflict serious damage to the child. The man launched two punches towards the boy's abdomen, one for each arm. Both successfully connect, causing the teen to grunt in discomfort and pain. Following with the blows he was able to land, he thrusted his right fist towards the young fighter's chest powerfully. The attack was able to connect. The strength of the attack was such that it caused the boy to cough up a small amount of blood. Fortunately, it wasn't life-threatening or too serious. The drops of blood landed on the ground beside the man's left side. They soaked quickly into the solid earth as seconds passed. A trickle of blood rested slowly on the right side of his mouth. To finish up with his own technique, the leader of the soldiers present, conscious or not, perform a roundhouse using his left leg. This would mean he was spinning clockwise. While still slightly dazed from the attacks that the man had landed before, Malik was unable to defend against this next blow. To soften the blow, he moved his right arm to to divert the damage of this finishing blow. The kick, connected successfully with his body, but his shoulder took the full brunt of the attack. The boy clenched his teeth in pain as the force of this blow pushed him towards the ground. He landed abruptly, causing a loud thud to resonate around him. The man stood over the teenager, seemingly winning. The other soldier watched as nothing happened for a few moments. Believing he had won, he started to turn around, but then, caught notice that the boy was started to move. As he slightly struggled to his feet, he managed to stand up without fail. He then, clutched his right shoulder with his left hand as it was still sore from the last attack the man landed. The aforementioned leader turned back to look in amazement at how strong-willed this child was. He could see in his eyes that he wasn't going to five up.

The soldiers that were watching from the sidelines were in awe how how he quickly stood up from one of their leader's own techniques. This boy were truly a person unlike any other they have seen before. The teen quickly shifted to his offensive position, wanting to continue his battle with the marine, a small smile crossing his features. he was feeling excited at meeting such a strong opponent. The man also smile, quickly switch a combative stance himself. The adolescent martial artist was thinking of trying a maneuver that will clearly leave the man unconscious. Fist, he raise his right hand and used the back of it to wipe of the trick of blood on the corresponding side of his mouth. He then, concentrated on the figure in front of himself. He dashed forward with his foe expected he will try and perform an unpredictable move to compensate for his more expected movement from before. When the child was close enough, he jumped in mid-air, which surprised both the leader and his men, who were watching at the moment. He then, performed a kick with his left leg. It was able to successfully connect with the middle of the man's face. The force of the blow propelled him back a couple of feet and caused him to grunt loudly in pain as he covered his face with his right hand. This boy was both strong and tough for someone so polite and kind. The teen landed safely on the ground and immediately began one of his techniques by shaping both of hands into the same fashion as claws. He then, focuses a good portion of his strength into both of them. He rushes forth and thrusts his right palm into the abdomen of the leader. It made contact and it caused the marine to remove his hand from his face as well as widen his eyes in shock out of more pain. He retracted his hand and repeated thrusted his left towards the man's chest. The blow was able to land successfully. Similar what he done to cause that same effect on Malik, the attack caused the soldier cause up a small portion of his blood, which flew pass the child and land on the ground to his right. The technique he had just utilized was called, "Urutsukuhyou". As the blood quickly soaked in, he decided to finish this with adding addition attacks alongside his technique. He retracted his left palm and moved behind the man, who was still dazed as the damage inflict was major. He held up his left elbow and trusted it at his neck. The blow was able ti hit, causing the marine to gasp in shock before falling towards the ground. He hit the ground, his eyes closed, which marked his loss of consciousness.

The boy stood over the man in triumph, a great victory indeed. He inhaled, then, exhaled greatly as this latest battle has proved to be exhilarating. The soldier present couldn't believe their eyes, their leader had just lost. If this boy could beat the commander of the group single-handedly, then, the obvious don't stand a chance against him. The teen walked over to his now-defeated foe and crouched down. He swung the man's left arm over his shoulders while his used his right hand to held him up from his abdomen. He then, turned on his feet and started walking to the tree. When he finished with helping his formidable, yet generous enemy at the moment, he would return and grab his belongs as well as exchange conversation with the remaining conscious soldier and be on his way towards the other side of the lake to claim and eat the Sand-Sand Fruit.

[Techniques Used: Urotsukuhyou: 235 - 25 = 210 Stamina]

[Word Count: 16,737 Words]

Please post the appropriate link in the help desk section [the link to the actual mission]